Off piste

If you have followed my blog then you will know that it has been a series of posts about my experiences of being diagnosed with breast cancer and treatment. I have tried to post as regularly as I can being a mum to a 5 year old, a step mum to an 11 year old, a carer to my 85 year old mother who lives with us and has dementia as well as working three days a week. As you can imagine with all of that going on the period between posts can be sporadic. I aim for at least one a month but am conscious that doesn't always happen because life has a habit of getting in the way. I am also very aware that my story is a long one as it covers a year long period where lots happened which, at times, leads me to wonder if I might be beset by old age before I ever get to the end of it!

Following some constructive feedback from a seasoned blogger friend I have decided to aim for more output in a punchier style which may see me producing more posts than I had ever envisaged, but will hopefully keep the story going at a pace and in turn keep you, dear reader, interested and wanting more (well a girl can dream...) But do note the use of the word 'aim'. It is indeed my aim and those who know me well will know that's a very tall order as I am never short of words or the desire to use them or indeed possess the ability to know when to stop using them. However for my own selfish purposes I need to deposit all the 'stuff' that has accumulated in my head over the last two years somewhere else ie into my blog, in order to, I suppose, move on and get on with embracing this period of remission and my new life ahead. 

Anyway the title of this post not only refers to this update about future output, but also about going 'off piste' about the subject matter of my blog. So with this in mind I wanted to take this opportunity to add to the debate about the lack of diversity at the recent Mumsnet BlogFest. Both http://www.chocolateisnottheonlyfruit.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1 and http://pramonrye.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/5-thoughts-on-mumsnets-blogfest-2013/ have most eloquently captured my thoughts and feelings so I won't rehash the very pithy points they both have made. 

What I wanted to do was to encourage people to read their respective posts and spread the word about collectively wanting to make a difference and effect change. There is no apportioning of blame onto the organisers of that event and similar types of events. However those of us who have recognised this and have shared these thoughts between ourselves are keen to work with these organisations to break down barriers to engaging with a more diverse community of bloggers which would be a better and truer reflection of the wider society.  I hope I am right in saying that those women of colour who have expressed a view do not see themselves as the appointed spokespeople on this debate. We just have a point of view and want to express that point of view. Others may feel differently or indeed have no opinion at all. But that's ok because as we have established women bloggers come in a variety of guises. It's just an observation as women of colour that BlogFest seemed to have attracted very few people like ourselves which was also reflected in the choice of panel members as well as the contributors to the breakout sessions. 

Anyway am in jeopardy of breaking my new 'less is more' cardinal rule so will end with just saying it would be great to firstly see if there are (and I am sure there are) more than just the handful of non-white women bloggers who went to BlogFest out there, secondly to identify the barriers to engagement, thirdly finding ways to engage them in this debate and fourthly harness their energies and considerable talents in order to, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world". 

Right I'm off to get back 'on piste' and will return to what I unfortunately know best about which is my (mis)adventures with cancer in my crazy three generational household. Watch this space for the new improved 'Big C in 3G ' coming soon to a computer screen near you...